This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Sarah Jaeger. Known for her highly decorated porcelain pottery she has maintained a studio in Helena, MT since 1987. Her functional pottery has been exhibited widely and she has taught workshops throughout North America.

Before becoming a potter Sarah studied literature and this early influence is reflected in her eloquent writing about hand made. "Despite the material abundance of our culture, it seems to me that we have been impoverished by the disjunction of beauty and handwork from utility that accompanied the industrial revolution and the hourly wage. When time became a commodity, it no longer made sense to make mere dishes by hand, and yet, as the jeweler and writer Bruce Metcalf has said, "handwork makes meaning, not just physical things."

In the interview we talk about the human desire to create meaning through hand made objects, as well as her love of pattern and volume, and the early days when she would skip class to spend more time in the clay studio. For more information on Sarah's work please visit www.sarahjaeger.com.

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have an interview with Steven Hill. A potter for over forty years, Hill has transitioned through many phases in his ceramic career including selling at art fairs, having gallery exhibitions, and managing a community studio. Hill was the founder of Red Star Studios in Kansas City, MO and is now a member of 323 Clay in Independence, MO. Hill is a much sought after workshop instructor who has taught in schools and craft institutions across the United States.

In the interview we talk about learning to make pots in the hippie era, the artist ego, and being on the workshop circuit. For more information on Steven's work please visit www.stevenhillpottery.com.

This week on the Tales of a Red Clay Rambler Podcast I have a panel discussion featuring Linda Arbuckle, Doug Casebeer, and Alleghany Meadows. Our discussion centers around the variety of forms that mentorship can take in the life of an artist. We discuss how objects, travel, and relationships with other artists have influenced each of the panelist's artistic development.

Linda Arbuckle is a studio potter and Professor of ceramics at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. You can find our more about her work at www.lindaarbuckle.com. Doug Casebeer is a studio potter and the artistic director of ceramics and sculpture at the Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Snowmass, CO. You can find out more about his work at www.andersonranch.org. Alleghany Meadows is a studio potter and gallery owner based in Carbondale, CO. You can find out more about his work at www.art-stream.com. The discussion was taped live during the American Pottery Festival at Northern Clay Center in Minneapolis, MN. To find our more about the programs that Northern Clay Center has to offer please visit www.northernclaycenter.org.